December Countdown Tags 2025

Hello crafters! It is time for my yearly December Countdown Tags project. These will go into my December Journal as date cards.

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This year I made shaped tags using scraps of watercolored paper and die cut the papers with Simon Says Stamp Petal Tipped Labels die set. I die cut numbers and stamped some patterns, images and words on te tags. 

These tags are meant to be hanging in my Advent calendar that I made years ago, but after our move, my Christmas things are still packed away and I haven't been able to find it yet. You can see it here, in last year's December Countdown Tag post.

I picked out a whole bunch of different watercolor or inky scraps. Many of these were papers where I had just tried out different color combinations of paints. Die cut with Simon Says Stamp Petal-Tipped Labels.

The numbers were die cut from kraft cardstock with Tim Holtz Sizzix Emporium Alphanumeric set.

I stamped the tag with various background, Christmas and word stamps. The background and image stamps were inked with Distress Ink, misted with water and stamped, for a watercolored effect.

Later, the tags will go my December Journal as date tags. You can find the December Journal here.

Even small scraps of inky or watercolored papers can be interesting when you die cut them. 'Magical' comes from Simon Says Stamp Forest Scenery.

It was a bit tricky finding small enough words to fit on the tags.

I also used some clippings stickers from Tim Holtz Christmas Sticker Book.

The holes were punched with my Crop-a-dile. I might remove the twine when I add the tags to the journal.

The tag to the right got an accidental inky heart.

Watercolor stamping fits with the background and makes it easier to stamp on the textured watercolor paper. 

More tags, where I just tested how different colors would blend on the paper.

On the darker tags, I stamped with dark inks. 

Pine needles of different kind are a favorite for Christmas and winter projects.

Getting closer to Christmas.

I also add Boxing Day to my tags since Christmas is celebrated all three days in Sweden (24th-26th).

You can find the previous years' countdown tags here: 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Thank you so much for visiting today! 

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Window December Journal Tutorial

Hi friends! It almost December and time to share one of my favorite projects each year. It is inspired by Ali Edwards concept of documenting the month of December. I have been doing this since 2012, making this my fourteenth December daily journal.

Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

My journals have looked different through the years, but the focus is on words rather than on adding photos, to make it easier to document each day. This year I made a journal with a frosty window through which you can see a Christmas scene. The book is 5x6 in and my December countdown tags will go into it. I will share that post in a couple of days. 

I used mainly Tim Holtz Idea-ology pieces to create this journal.

I started out with some Idea-ology Christmas Baseboard pieces and sanded the edges.

I cut a piece of Simon Says Stamp acetate to fit the window and colored with Latte Alcohol Ink. I also cut a paper from Tim Holtz Christmas Backdrops papers 2025, making sure the elements I liked the most could be seen through the windows.

I used Sizzix Little Sizzles Mat Board for the covers and cut various Tim Holtz Christmas Backdrops paper to fit both sides of each cover. I cut away a piece of the brick paper, to use on another project. Adhere with matte medium. Place under a heavy book.

I added a piece of acetate to the lamp post, inked with Butterscotch alcohol ink and, when dry, coated with Stickles.

The sentiments were stamped with Tim Holtz Tiny Text Christmas and Watercolor Trees.

I also added Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively Dazzling Prism Gems to the window.

I picked one of the the sentiments and used it as my title. I don't know if you can see it, but I removed some of the alcohol ink where there are lights in the background, to make it look like they shine.

Punch holes with a Crop-a-Dile and bind with Tim Holtz Mini Book Rings.

I used one of my favorite writing papers for the inside.

And the back of the journal. I might later add some photos to the inside covers.

It is almost time to start filling this journal with memories. I will soon share the countdown tags which will go into it and become labels for the dates.

You can find my previous Christmas Daily journals here:

2024 - Frostie December Journal

2023 - Home December Journal

2022 - Folio December Journal

2021 - Snowy Hills December Journal

2020 - Peaceful Winter December Journal

2019 - Snowy Mountains December Daily

2018 - Birch Forest December Daily
2017 - Narnia December Daily
2016 - Winter Village December Daily video
2015 - Believe December Daily
2014 - December Daily
2013 - Christmas Daily
2012 - December Mini-book

Thank you so much for visiting today! 

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Trio of Christmas Gift Tags

Hello crafters! It is Monday and time flies too fast this time of the year and the shorter days add to that feeling.

Please note: this post has affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

This week we have a Matching Set theme at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog. I hope you will join us and don't miss the project by our November guest designer Pauline C.

The And Everything Nice release is filled with creative products for holiday and winter crafting.

I made a matching set of three stamped Christmas gift tags. You could also easily make more of them. I used Simon Says Stamp Festive Merriment set from the And Everything Nice release for the tags.

Start by smearing Distress Ink on a non-stick craft sheet, mist with water and press Ranger's heavystock size #5 tags into the ink. Repeat one more time. Let dry.

The Simon Says Stamp Festive Merriment set has some stamps which you stamp in parts, clearly labeled. I used Distress Ink and misted the inked stamp with water before stamping. The sentiments were stamped with Archival Jet Black.

Stamp hearts, stars and snowflakes on the tags. 

I gold-embossed a few details on on each tag.

This gingerbread stamp is so cute. I touched up the gingerbread men with a white gel pen.

The dots that were gold embossed come from the mistletoe stamp (it is the berries).

I matched the tags with ribbons in similar colors.

I added white dots to the berries with a gel pen.

I inked the edges of the tags with Ground Espresso and Scorched Timber. 

The sentiments in this stamp set look great.

And finally, the bauble tag. I love baubles and you can make them in any colors with these stamps. 

I needed the hangers to be longer and restamped the dots on the right, to extend it. 

Use this for your own gifts or make more tags and give them away as a gift.

Join us this week in our Matching Set challenge! You have a chance to win a $25 gift voucher to do some fun shopping at Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in.

Do you use Instagram? If so please add #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too.

Thank you so much for visiting today! 

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.